OU softball: Notable stats at the midseason mark

NORMAN — We're almost to April. That means Oklahoma is essentially at the midway point of the season.

The top-ranked Sooners have played 32 games, winning 31 of them. They've played around 60 games each of the past few seasons, which have included three consecutive national championships.

That means there's now a decent sample size of data to analyze for this year's Sooners. While there are certainly still a lot of games left to be played, there's now a clear picture of how this team has performed, especially in comparison with their past seasons and the college softball world.

Here's a look at some of the notable stats through the first half of the 2024 season:

The stat: Runs per game

Analysis: The Sooners are scoring an average of 9.12 runs per game, which ranks second nationally. They're averaging over one run more than they did last season, when they led the country in scoring with 8.08 runs per game.

The Sooners' uptick in scoring is consistent with what's happening across college softball. Last season, the Sooners were the only team to average seven or more runs per game. This year, 11 such teams are hitting that mark including Miami (OH), which is leading the country with 9.21 runs per game. Only 16 teams averaged six or more runs per game last year, compared to 34 this year.

They rank third in home runs per game, averaging 2.12 per game and 68 total. Jennings and Brito each have 12, while Cydney Sanders has 10.

Obviously, things could fluctuate as conference play continues. But so far, the Sooners' offense has been even better this year.

The stat: Batting average

Analysis: The Sooners' batting average of .394 leads the country, with Texas right behind them at No. 2 (.391). The Sooners led the country last year in batting average at .366.

As of now, the Sooners have six players who have seen at least 60 at-bats and while hitting .400 or higher. True freshman Kasidi Pickering narrowly misses the mark with a batting average of .397 on 73 at-bats.

While the usual suspects like Jayda Coleman, Tiare Jennings and Alyssa Brito have largely picked up right where they've left off in previous seasons, they've also gotten some huge contributions across the lineup. True freshman Ella Parker (.437) has fit right in as the designated player. Alynah Torres (.417) has provided a huge boost at the plate and as a utility player.

Rylie Boone, who has long been a staple and consistent hitter, is enjoying her best season as a hitter. She leads the team in batting average at .463, her best mark since her freshman year, when she logged four at-bats.

The stat: The number of walks

Analysis: This might be the most notable change from past OU teams. The Sooners have recorded 163 walks as a team this year. Assuming the Sooners play roughly 60 games this year, they are on pace for around 320 walks. Cydney Sanders and Coleman are both tied for the team lead with 23.

Last year, the Sooners finished the year with 242 walks and had 126 through 32 games.

In 2022, the Sooners finished with 268 walks and 150 through 32 games.

It may not seem like a significance difference, but the Sooners are making an effort to be even more patient at the plate, and there's been several games where that's paid off.

The Sooners' pitching staff has also only walked 59 batters this year.

The stat: Number of stolen bases

Last year, the Sooners stole 53 total bases. In 2022, they stole 60. They're already up to 40 this year.

Also notable, the Sooners have only allowed seven stolen bases by their opponents.

The biggest change has been Parker's addition to the lineup. She's already stolen 10 bases, and she now leads the all-time program record for stolen bases as a freshman, surpassing Coleman.

While true freshman Maya Bland hasn't seen a ton of at-bats, she's been effective as a pinch runner. She's stolen eight bases on nine attempts.

Outside of Bland and Parker, no one has stolen more than four bases.

The stat: Earned run average of the pitching staff

Analysis: Despite losing Jordy Bahl and Alex Storako, the Sooners' pitching staff has remained one of the best in the country. They have a collective ERA of 1.39, which ranks fifth nationally.

A big reason has been the addition of Kelly Maxwell, who's established herself as the team's ace. She leads the team in innings pitched (54.1) to go with an ERA of 1.66 while recording 60 strikeouts and only 13 earned runs.

Nicole May has remained solid with an ERA of 1.83, though her numbers are slightly behind where she was last year. Kierston Deal has emerged as a legitimate top-three option with an ERA of 1.31 on 32 innings pitched.

Karlie Keeney and Paytn Monticelli have been effective as relief pitchers. Keeney has an ERA of 1.19 in 35.1 innings, while Monticelli has given up just one earned run in 15.1 innings.

The Sooners did lead the country last year with an historic ERA of .96. But considering what they lost in the offseason, the dropoff has been marginal as the staff has continued to be elite.

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